Delicious Ways to Plan a Vietnamese-inspired Party with an American Flair

Let’s face it. The party fare served at any gathering is usually the star of the occasion. So for a unique Vietnamese-inspired party, plan a menu that will take you all on an adventure through authentic recipes from Vietnam. From banh mi to pho to sweets and desserts, to local drinks and of course Vietnam’s famous coffee—what a cultural food trip it will be! Get ready to party via Vietnamese cuisine, with some American-style tweaks. (*this post contains affiliate links)

Build Your Own Banh Mi! Recipes and Tips

What is banh mi, you ask? It’s a Vietnamese sandwich consisting of a baguette filled with a variety of ingredients, typically including meat, pickled vegetables, and chili peppers. Perfect party fare to present in a banh mi station at the party—baskets or trays of baguettes (or any soft bread at the supermarket) and an array of fillings and toppings in bowls:

• meat filling (see options in recipes below), shredded and a bit dry, not saucy
  Note: grilled vegetables are a good vegetarian substitute
• thinly-sliced fresh chiles like jalapenos or Fresno chiles
• cilantro or any fresh herbs in season, like mint or basil
• cucumber slices, or shredded iceberg or romaine lettuce
• mayonnaise or avocado, if preferred
• sweet pickles (you can add a little sugar to store-bought pickles)
• seasoning sauce (Maggi Seasoning or regular soy sauce)

Banh mi recipes to choose from:

1 – Beef Banh Mi – from Beef It’s What’s for Dinner
2 – Chicken Banh Mi – from Applegate
3 – Banh Mi Burgers with Cilantro Broccoli Slaw and Sriracha Mayo – from Purple Carrot
4 – Leftover Turkey Asian Sandwich (Turkey Banh Mi) – from The Food Charlatan
5 – Spiced Oven-Baked Pork Banh Mi – from Eat Pork.org
6 – Pacific Shrimp Banh Mi – from Avocados From Mexico.com

Ideas for Setting Up a Pho (Vietnamese Noodles) Station

If your party will be in the wintertime, a pho station would be just the thing, too! Offer steaming hot beef and vegetable broth with a choice of varied toppings (again, grab ideas from the recipes below). And for that spicy kick, sriracha sauce is a must!

Here are some enticing recipes we suggest to give you ideas for toppings to offer:

1 – Satisfyingly Light Vietnamese Pho – from Mercola
2 – Pho Ga (Chicken Pho) with Crispy Shallots – from Cook With Campbell’s
3 – Venison (Wild Game) Pho – from Weston Brands
4 – Homemade Pho with Meatballs – from La Crema
5 – Vietnamese Beef Noodle Soup – from Sur la Table
6 – Easy Spam Pho* – from Spam.com

* It is a Vietnamese party with an American flair, after all!

How to Decorate a Vietnamese-inspired Party

Since this is a fusion theme of sorts, you can decorate with a couple of authentic Vietnamese silk lanterns—which come in a diamond shape, an oval shape, or a garlic umbrella shape. Or you may substitute with the more easy-to-find Oriental paper lanterns (all available from Amazon).

For the food stations, you could serve appetizers or even the banh mi sandwiches with little Vietnamese flag cocktail picks (from Amazon).

And for a really cute party favor, why not surprise each guest with a “Pho Sho” ceramic ornament? Even if it isn’t Christmas!

Vietnamese Sweet Treats to Serve

Offer guests a combination of familiar and exotic desserts, featuring ingredients and flavors of Vietnam. Here, we have a selection of chocolates, ice cream, and native-style confections.

1 – Vietnamese Macadamia Nut Chocolates – from Rakuten Global Market
2 – Marou Coconut Milk and Ben Tre 55% – from Amazon
3 – Humphry Slocombe Ice Cream Blue Bottle Vietnamese Coffee (Pack of 4) – from Amazon
4 – Banh da Lon (Steamed Tapioca Layer Cake) – from NP Family Recipes
5 – Vietnam Specialty Mung Bean Cake Sweet Snack (410g / 14.4oz) – from Amazon
6 – Vietnamese Iced Coffee Flan – recipe from Kroger

Vietnamese Drinks for a Party Beverage Station

Canned or bottled beverages from Vietnam would be handy to serve, but may not be easy to find where you are. You have the option, then, of ordering online or, better yet, whipping up homemade smoothies, teas, shakes, and cocktails yourself—often made with fruits native to Vietnam but available in the U.S. See the recipes below!

1 – Phancy Chanh Vietnamese Sparkling Limeade – from Amazon
2 – Vietnamese Iced Coffee Smoothies with Boba – recipe from The Little Kitchen
3 – Che Thai Vietnamese Fruit Cocktail  – recipe from The Ravenous Couple
4 – Trà Dào Vietnamese Peach Tea – recipe from Curious Cuisiniere
5 – Sinh To Bo (Vietnamese Avocado Shake) – recipe from Vicky Pham
6 – Soda Chanh (Vietnamese Lime Soda) – recipe from All Roads Lead to the Kitchen

A Must-have Vietnamese Iced Coffee Station!

If you’d prefer to have just one “star station” at your party, then it would have to be a Vietnamese iced coffee station. Vietnam’s coffee is world famous—and it’s iced version is hugely popular, too.

Choose from these surprisingly simple recipes for one to wow your guests with!

1 – Vietnamese Iced Coffee – recipe from Starbucks’ Coffee At Home
2 – Vietnamese Coffee with Nestlé Full Cream Sweetened Condensed Milk – recipe from Nestlé Professional
3 – Vietnamese Iced Coffee – recipe from So Delicious Dairy Free

So, will the fascinating culture and cuisine of Vietnam inspire an upcoming party you’re hosting? Wish we could be there!